Communication method, communication apparatus, storage medium, and program product

Abstract

A communication method, a communication apparatus, a storage medium, and a program product. The method, which is applied to a terminal, comprises: receiving a user plane connection establishment command from a first node, wherein the user plane connection establishment command is used for establishing a user plane connection between the terminal and a first network element; and establishing the user plane connection with the first network element on the basis of the user plane connection establishment command.

Description

Communication methods, communication devices, storage media and software products

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202510339625.9, filed on March 20, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a communication method, communication device, storage medium, and program product. Background Technology

[0003] In artificial intelligence (AI) technology, data acquisition is crucial for the realization of AI. Data acquisition via communication networks is a widely used method for AI data collection. Summary of the Invention

[0004] On the one hand, a communication method is provided for use in a terminal, the method comprising:

[0005] Receive a user plane connection establishment command from the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0006] Based on the user plane connection establishment command, a user plane connection is established with the first network element.

[0007] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, including a receiving module and a processing module.

[0008] The receiving module is used to receive the user plane connection establishment command from the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0009] The processing module is used to establish a user plane connection with the first network element based on the user plane connection establishment command.

[0010] On the other hand, a communication method is provided for application to the first node, the method including:

[0011] Send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0012] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, including: a transmitting module.

[0013] The sending module is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0014] On the other hand, a communication method is provided, applied to a first network element, the method comprising:

[0015] Send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0016] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, including: a transmitting module.

[0017] The sending module is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0018] On the other hand, a communication method is provided for application function (AF), the method comprising:

[0019] Send a third message to the first network element or the network exposure function (NEF); the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning (ML); the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0020] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, including: a transmitting module.

[0021] The sending module is used to send a third message to the first network element or the open network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0022] On the other hand, a communication method is provided for application to open network elements, the method comprising:

[0023] Receive relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by application network elements;

[0024] Send a third message to the first network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0025] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, comprising: a receiving module and a transmitting module.

[0026] The receiving module is used to receive relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by application network elements;

[0027] The sending module is used to send a third message to the first network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0028] In another aspect, a communication device is provided, comprising: a memory and a processor; the memory and the processor are coupled; the memory is used to store a computer program; and the processor, when executing the computer program, implements the communication method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0029] In another aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0030] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, which includes computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the communication method described in any of the above embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments of this disclosure will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 is a system architecture diagram of a communication system according to some embodiments.

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart of a communication method according to some embodiments.

[0034] Figure 3 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0036] Figure 5 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0038] Figure 7 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0039] Figure 8 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0040] Figure 9 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0041] Figure 10 is a flowchart of another communication method according to some embodiments.

[0042] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments.

[0043] Figure 12 is a block diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments.

[0044] Figure 13 is a block diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments.

[0045] Figure 14 is a block diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments.

[0046] Figure 15 is a block diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments.

[0047] Figure 16 is a block diagram of another communication device according to some embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The technical solutions of this disclosure will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this disclosure, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0049] It should be noted that, in this disclosure, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in this disclosure should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or designs. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0050] Hereinafter, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature.

[0051] In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, " / " means "or," for example, A / B can mean A or B. "And / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. Furthermore, "at least one" means one or more, and "more than one" means two or more.

[0052] In artificial intelligence (AI) technology, data acquisition is crucial for the realization of AI. Data acquisition via communication networks is a widely used method for AI data collection.

[0053] Currently, there is a lack of a reliable communication method for executing artificial intelligence-related data transmission in communication networks.

[0054] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this disclosure provides a communication method. Since the user connection establishment command may include information related to establishing a user plane connection between the terminal and a first network element, such as the identity of the first network element or information about the data to be transmitted via the user plane connection, a user plane connection capable of transmitting artificial intelligence / machine learning-related data can be established based on the user plane connection establishment command.

[0055] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to systems with various communication standards. For example, the systems to which the communication method provided in this disclosure is applicable include, but are not limited to, long-term evolution (LTE) systems, various versions based on LTE evolution, 5th generation mobile communication technology (5G) systems, future mobile communication networks (such as 6G mobile communication networks), or multiple converged communication systems. Furthermore, the communication method provided in this disclosure can also be applied to future-oriented communication systems.

[0056] For example, the above communication method can be applied to the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​As shown in FIG1, the communication system includes: a terminal, a radio access network (RAN), a user plane function (UPF), a data network (DN), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), a network slice selection function (NSSF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a unified data management (UDM), a policy control function (PCF), an application function, and a network open function.

[0057] In some embodiments, the communication system described in Figure 1 may also include network data analysis / collection related network elements, such as network data analytics function (NWDAF), data collection coordination function (DCCF), analytics data repository function (ADRF), data collection application function (DCAF), operations administration and maintenance (OAM), and new network elements that may emerge in the future that can realize the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0058] Here, the terminal is used to receive a user plane connection establishment command from the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element. Alternatively, it is used to establish a user plane connection with the first network element based on the user plane connection establishment command.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following: a network data analysis network element, a data collection coordination network element, an analysis and data storage network element, a data collection application network element, an operation management and maintenance network element, or a new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0060] The first network element is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node.

[0061] In some embodiments, the first node is a wireless access network or an access and mobility management network element.

[0062] The first node is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

[0063] Application network elements are used to send third messages to the first network element or the network open network element.

[0064] The network open element is used to receive relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by the application network element; or, it is used to send a third message to the first network element.

[0065] In some embodiments, the terminal can be a device with wireless transceiver capabilities, which can be deployed on land, including indoors or outdoors, handheld, wearable, or vehicle-mounted; it can also be deployed on water (such as on ships); and it can also be deployed in the air (e.g., on airplanes, balloons, and satellites). The terminal can be a mobile phone, tablet computer, computer with wireless transceiver capabilities, virtual reality (VR) terminal, augmented reality (AR) terminal, wireless terminal in industrial control, wireless terminal in self-driving, wireless terminal in remote medical care, wireless terminal in smart grid, wireless terminal in transportation safety, wireless terminal in smart city, wireless terminal in smart home, etc. The embodiments of this application do not limit the application scenarios. The term "terminal" can sometimes also refer to a user, user equipment (UE), access terminal, UE unit, UE station, mobile station, mobile station, remote station, remote terminal, mobile device, UE terminal, wireless communication device, UE agent, or UE device, etc., but the embodiments of this application do not limit this to these terms.

[0066] In some embodiments, the radio access network may be referred to as a base station. A base station may be a base station in Long Term Evolution (LTE), Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTEA), or an evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), a base station device in a 5G network, or a base station in a future communication system, etc. Base stations may include various macro base stations, micro base stations, femtocell base stations, wireless remote extensions, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISS), routers, wireless fidelity (WIFI) devices, or various network-side devices such as primary cells and secondary cells.

[0067] The access and mobility management network element includes functions such as terminal mobility management, reachability management, connection management, and registration management. The access and mobility management network element terminates the radio access network control plane (CP) interface N2 and the non-access stratum (NAS) interface N1, and provides NAS encryption and integrity protection. It also distributes messages to the appropriate network elements through the corresponding interfaces.

[0068] The unified data management network element is used to manage the subscription profiles of terminals. Subscription data can be stored in the unified data repository (UDR). Subscription information includes access and mobility subscription data required for terminal registration and mobility management, slice selection subscription data required for slice selection, session management subscription data required for session management network element selection, and session management subscription data required for protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment. Other network elements, such as the access and mobility management network element and the session management network element, retrieve subscription data from the unified data management network element.

[0069] The network slice selection network element supports the following functions: selecting the set of network slice instances to serve the terminal; determining allowed network slice selection assistance information (allowed NSSAI) and, when necessary, determining the mapping to home public land mobile network single network slice selection assistance information (HPLMN S-NSSAI); determining configured network slice selection assistance information (Configured NSSAI) and, when necessary, determining the mapping to HPLMN S-NSSAI; and possibly determining the set of access and mobility management network elements (AMF set) to serve the terminal by querying the network repository function (NRF), or determining a list of candidate access and mobility management network elements based on configuration.

[0070] The session management network element includes the following functions: session establishment, modification and release, terminal IP address allocation and management, and selection and control of user plane (UP) functions.

[0071] User plane network elements serve as anchor points for intra / inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility and as external PDU session points for interconnection with data networks. User plane network elements also route and forward data packets according to instructions from session management network elements. When the terminal is in idle mode, it also buffers downlink (DL) data.

[0072] The policy control network element supports a unified policy framework for managing network behavior. It provides access management policies to the access and mobility management network element, session management policies to the session management network element, or terminal policies to terminals through the access and mobility management network element. The policy control network element can access a unified data repository to obtain subscription information related to policy decisions.

[0073] It should be noted that the network elements mentioned above can also be referred to as functions.

[0074] It should be noted that Figure 1 is only an exemplary framework diagram, and the number of devices included in Figure 1 and the names of each device are not limited.

[0075] The application scenarios of the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited. The system architecture and business scenarios described in the embodiments of this disclosure are for the purpose of more clearly illustrating the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, and do not constitute a limitation on the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure. As those skilled in the art will know, with the evolution of network architecture and the emergence of new business scenarios, the technical solutions provided by the embodiments of this disclosure are also applicable to similar technical problems.

[0076] The communication method provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0077] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to a terminal in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG2 shows a flowchart of a communication method, which includes the following steps S201-S202:

[0078] S201, Receive the user plane connection establishment command from the first node.

[0079] Here, the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0080] S202. Based on the user plane connection establishment command, establish a user plane connection with the first network element.

[0081] It should be noted that the user plane connection establishment command of the first node can include information related to establishing a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element, such as the identity of the first network element or information about the data to be transmitted through the user plane connection. Therefore, based on the user plane connection establishment command, a user plane connection can be established with the first network element, ensuring that data from the terminal, including data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, is transmitted through the established user plane connection.

[0082] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning. Alternatively, the user plane connection is used to collect data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0083] In some embodiments, the user plane connection command can be used to instruct the establishment of a user plane connection for transmitting relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0084] It should be noted that data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning can also be referred to as user data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first node is an access and mobility management network element; or, the first node is an access network node. That is, the user plane connection establishment command can be sent from the access and mobility management network element to the terminal, or it can be sent from the access network node to the terminal.

[0086] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following: a network data analysis network element, a data collection coordination network element, an analysis and data storage network element, a data collection application network element, an operation management and maintenance network element, or a new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning). That is, all of the above network elements can establish a user plane connection with the terminal to perform the transmission or collection of data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0087] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment command includes at least one of the following: the address of the first network element, the user plane binding identifier, an indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0088] The address of the first network element can be used to indicate the first network element, and the address of the first network element enables the terminal to determine the object to establish a user plane connection.

[0089] The user plane binding identifier can be used to complete the user plane binding between the terminal and the first network element.

[0090] The indication of AI / machine learning related data transmission is used to indicate that the user plane connection established between the terminal and the first network element is for AI / machine learning related data transmission or collection.

[0091] Application information may include at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address, so that the terminal knows the relevant application information and prepares or supports the data transmission process related to artificial intelligence / machine learning or the steps that may be involved in the transmission process.

[0092] The terminal information may include at least one of the following: a terminal identifier (such as a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI), a terminal address (such as an IP address), a terminal group message (such as a group identifier), and an indication applied to any terminal. The terminal identifier identifies the terminal corresponding to the user plane connection command. The terminal address identifies the destination address of the user plane connection command. The terminal group message indicates information related to the group to which the terminal belongs. The indication applied to any terminal identifies the relevant indication information of the terminal to which the user plane connection command is applied.

[0093] Slice information is used to indicate relevant information about network slices associated with user plane connections.

[0094] The data network name is used to indicate the name of the data network element associated with the user plane connection.

[0095] Time information can include at least one of the following: a data collection time window, a data validity period, and a data expiration time. The data collection time window indicates the start and end times of the collection or transmission of AI / machine learning related data, ensuring the timeliness and relevance of the data collection or transmission. The data validity period defines how long the data is valid or accurate and reliable, ensuring that the data is up-to-date during the collection or transmission process and reducing the possibility of using outdated data. The data expiration time ensures that data exceeding its expiration time is not processed during the data collection process.

[0096] Location / region information may include at least one of the following: latitude and longitude-based geographic region, street-based city address, tracking area identity (TAI), and cell ID. In other words, location / region information can include multiple dimensions to support subsequent processing corresponding to different dimensions.

[0097] Data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements. Terminal measurements are data obtained from terminal measurements, while access network measurements are data obtained from access network measurements.

[0098] Data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

[0099] Data sample information may include at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold, to indicate relevant information about data samples related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0100] Machine learning model identifiers can be used to label data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning and associated machine learning models.

[0101] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending a user plane connection establishment request to a first node. Here, the user plane connection establishment request is used to request the establishment of a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element. Alternatively, the user plane connection establishment request is used to request the establishment of a user plane for transmitting relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0102] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment request includes at least one of the following: indications of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier. Specifically, the relevant descriptions of this information can be found above and will not be repeated here.

[0103] In some embodiments, establishing a user plane connection with a first network element based on a user plane connection establishment command includes: establishing a protocol data unit session based on the user plane connection establishment command; the protocol data unit session is used to establish a connection between the first network element and the terminal; and performing user plane connection binding based on the protocol data unit session.

[0104] In some embodiments, establishing a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session based on a user plane connection establishment command includes: performing terminal routing policy matching based on the user plane connection establishment command to obtain the target data network name and target single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI); and sending a PDU session establishment request to a second network element, wherein the PDU session establishment request includes the target data network name and target single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI).

[0105] In some embodiments, the session management network element selects the corresponding user plane network element based on the data network element name and single network slice selection auxiliary information, and performs Protocol Data Unit Session (or N4 Session) establishment, or in other words, establishes Protocol Data Unit Session based on the data network element name and single network slice selection auxiliary information.

[0106] In some embodiments, the target data network name and target single network slice selection auxiliary information are obtained by matching the UE route selection policy (URSP) established based on the user plane connection, including: matching the meaning of data transmission based on artificial intelligence / machine learning and the address information of network elements to obtain the corresponding target data network name and target single network slice selection auxiliary information in the route selection descriptor (RSD).

[0107] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Acceptance Message from a second network element, so that the terminal knows that the second network element has received a Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request, or so that the terminal knows that the Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment is complete.

[0108] In some embodiments, performing user plane connection binding based on a protocol data unit session includes: establishing a transport layer security (TLS) connection with a first network element; and sending a user plane connection binding request to the first network element, the user plane connection binding request including a user plane binding identifier. This allows the sending of a user plane connection binding request to be completed based on a highly secure transport layer security (TLS) connection.

[0109] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection binding acceptance message from a first network element. Here, the user plane connection binding acceptance message is used to indicate that the first network element has accepted the user plane connection binding request from the terminal or to indicate that the user plane connection binding is complete.

[0110] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes sending a user plane connection establishment completion message to a first node. Thus, the first node can be notified that the user plane connection has been established through the user plane connection establishment completion message.

[0111] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to the first network element via a user plane connection with the first network element. This enables the transmission or collection of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0112] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to a radio access network or access and mobility management network element (which may be referred to as a first node) in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG3 shows a flowchart of another communication method, which includes the following S301:

[0113] S301. Send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

[0114] Here, the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0115] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first node is an access and mobility management network element or an access network node.

[0117] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following: a network data analysis network element, a data collection coordination network element, an analysis and data storage network element, a data collection application network element, an operation management and maintenance network element, or a new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0118] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment command includes at least one of the following: the address of the first network element, the user plane binding identifier, an indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0119] It should be noted that the data source type includes terminal measurements or access network measurements;

[0120] Data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

[0121] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment request from a terminal.

[0122] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment request includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0123] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes at least one of the following: receiving a first message from a first network element; the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and an identifier list for requesting the first node to send a terminal that satisfies the relevant parameters in the first message.

[0124] In some embodiments, when the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and a list of terminal identifiers for requesting the first node to send a list of terminal identifiers that satisfy the relevant parameters in the first message, the first node sends the terminal identifier list to the first network element.

[0125] In some embodiments, sending a user plane connection establishment command to a terminal includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment command sent by a first network element; and sending the user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

[0126] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment request from a terminal; selecting a first network element based on the user plane connection establishment request; and sending the user plane connection establishment request to the first network element.

[0127] In one possible implementation, assuming the first node is an access and mobility management network element, the access and mobility management network element can perform network element selection based on one or more parameters from the user plane connection establishment request from the terminal to obtain the first network element.

[0128] In one possible implementation, the access and mobility management network element can invoke services from the network repository network element or the unified data management network element to select the first network element. For example, it can send location / region information from a user plane connection establishment request to the network repository network element or the unified data management network element. The network repository network element or the unified data management network element then matches the location / region information to determine the first network element and sends relevant information about the first network element (such as its identifier or address) to the access and mobility management network element. In this way, the access and mobility management network element can send a user plane connection establishment request message to the first network element.

[0129] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment completion message from a terminal; and sending the user plane connection establishment completion message to a first network element. That is, a radio access network or an access and mobility management network element, used to forward the user plane connection establishment completion message between the terminal and the first network element.

[0130] It should be noted that the explanation of some embodiments of the communication method applied to the access network or access and mobility management network element in the communication system shown in Figure 1 can be referred to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to the terminal in the communication system shown in Figure 1.

[0131] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to one of the following network elements in the communication system shown in FIG1: network data analysis network element, data collection coordination network element, analysis data storage network element, data collection application network element, operation management and maintenance network element, and new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of realizing data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning). FIG4 shows a flowchart of another communication method. As shown in FIG4, this communication method includes the following S401:

[0132] S401, Send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node.

[0133] Here, the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0134] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following: a network data analysis network element, a data collection coordination network element, an analysis and data storage network element, a data collection application network element, an operation management and maintenance network element, or a new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0136] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment request from a first node.

[0137] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a third message sent by a third network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data. In some embodiments, the third network element is an application network element or a network open network element, that is, the application network element can directly send the third message to the first network element. Alternatively, the third message can be sent indirectly to the first network element through a network open network element.

[0138] It should be noted that the first network element sending a user plane connection establishment command to the first node can be triggered by a user plane connection request from the first node (or a user plane connection request message forwarded by the first node from the terminal), or it can be triggered by a third message from the third network element. That is, there is a user plane connection establishment process that is requested by the terminal and a user plane connection establishment process that is requested by the third network element (or a direct request from the application network element, or an indirect request from the application network element through the network open network element).

[0139] In some embodiments, the third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, and notification address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data. Here, the subscription address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data indicates the address provided by the data subscriber (e.g., a user or a third-party application), used to send data to the subscriber based on the subscription address. The notification address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data indicates the address used by the data sender to send data to the subscriber.

[0140] In some embodiments, the application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0141] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0142] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0143] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0144] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0145] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0146] Data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold.

[0147] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: performing authorization verification and user permission confirmation on the parameters related to the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning provided by the third network element. Here, authorization verification is used to verify whether the third network element has access rights. User permission confirmation is used to confirm whether the user allows or authorizes the collection or transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0148] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending a response message to a third network element. In some embodiments, the response message includes at least one of the following: a reference identifier assigned by a first network element, an association identifier assigned by a first network element, a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, the data type authorized by the terminals, the data type not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time (or the expected time to provide the collected data to the third network element).

[0149] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: performing a first node selection.

[0150] It should be noted that when the first network element receives a third message, or when the third network element requests to establish a user plane connection, the first network element needs to perform the selection of the first node in order to send a user plane connection establishment command to the selected first node.

[0151] In some embodiments, performing the first node selection includes: sending location information to the network storage element; and receiving relevant information about the first node sent by the network storage element.

[0152] It should be noted that network storage elements can call the event exposure service, the data exposure service, or the first node selection service corresponding to artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission to complete the selection of the first node.

[0153] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending a second message to a network storage element. The second message is used to register or update information of the first network element.

[0154] It should be understood that the second message enables the network storage element to store information about the first network element, allowing the network storage element to match / select network elements that meet the requirements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning. For example, after the first node sends relevant parameters (such as location information, capability requirement information, etc.) related to collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning to the network storage element, the network storage element can select a first network element that meets the requirements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning based on these parameters and the information of multiple first network elements stored within it.

[0155] In some embodiments, the information of the first network element includes at least one of the following: information on the ability to collect artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0156] In some embodiments, performing a first node selection includes at least one of the following: sending a first message to the selected node; receiving a list of terminal identifiers sent by the selected node; and performing authorization verification on the list of terminal identifiers.

[0157] Here, the selected node is the node selected by the first network element; the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and information for requesting the selected node to send an identifier list of terminals that meet the relevant parameters in the first message.

[0158] It should be noted that if the first message includes parameters related to artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, the selected node can directly send a list of terminal identifiers to the first network element. In this case, the first message does not necessarily need to include information requesting the selected node to send a list of terminal identifiers that meet the relevant parameters in the first message. If the first message can include information requesting the selected node to send a list of terminal identifiers that meet the relevant parameters in the first message, the selected node can send the terminal identifier list to the first network element based on the information requesting the selected node to send a list of terminal identifiers that meet the relevant parameters in the first message.

[0159] Furthermore, by verifying the authorization of the terminal identifier list from the selected node, the first network element can determine whether the terminals under the selected node can meet the requirements for collecting artificial intelligence / machine learning related data. For example, it can determine whether the terminals under the selected node are authorized terminals, or whether the number of authorized terminals under the selected node meets the requirements.

[0160] In some embodiments, if the authorization verification of the terminal identifier list of the selected node is successful, the selected node is determined to be the first node.

[0161] In some embodiments, authorization verification of the identifier list includes: the first network element sending a terminal identifier list and / or an artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection instruction to the data management network element; and receiving the authorization verification result of the terminal identifier list sent by the data management network element.

[0162] In some embodiments, performing the first node selection includes: selecting the first node based on relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission provided by the application network element or the network open network element. For example, the first network element may select the first node based on relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission and its local configuration.

[0163] In some embodiments, the selection of the first node can also involve calling the services of the unified data management network element and completing the information query of the terminal based on the first node corresponding to the terminal.

[0164] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection binding request from a terminal, the user plane connection binding request including a user plane binding identifier; and sending a user plane connection binding acceptance message to the terminal.

[0165] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a user plane connection establishment completion message from a first node.

[0166] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data from a terminal.

[0167] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: sending relevant data on artificial intelligence / machine learning to application network elements or open network elements.

[0168] In some embodiments, sending AI / machine learning related data to application network elements or open network elements includes: performing checks and confirmations on the AI / machine learning related data based on requirement parameters; and sending the AI / machine learning related data to the application network element or open network element if the AI / machine learning related data meets the requirements. It should be understood that requirement parameters can reflect the needs for collecting or transmitting AI / machine learning related data. Therefore, based on requirement parameters, it can be confirmed whether the requirements for AI / machine learning related data are met.

[0169] It should be noted that the partial explanation of the embodiments of the communication method applied to one of the network data analysis network element, data collection coordination network element, analysis data storage network element, data collection application network element, operation management and maintenance network element, and new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of realizing data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning) in the communication system shown in Figure 1 can refer to the explanation of the embodiments of the communication method applied to the access network or access and mobility management network element in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or refer to the explanation of the embodiments of the communication method applied to the terminal in the communication system shown in Figure 1.

[0170] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to application network elements in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG5 shows a flowchart of another communication method, which includes the following S501:

[0171] S501, Send a third message to the first network element or the network open network element.

[0172] The third message is used to request the collection of data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0173] In some embodiments, the third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, and notification address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0174] Application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0175] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0176] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0177] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0178] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0179] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0180] Data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold.

[0181] Application information may include at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address, so that the terminal knows the relevant application information and prepares or supports the data transmission process related to artificial intelligence / machine learning or the steps that may be involved in the transmission process.

[0182] The terminal information may include at least one of the following: a terminal identifier (such as a General Public Subscription Identifier), a terminal address (such as an IP address), a terminal group message (such as a group identifier), and an indication applied to any terminal. Here, the terminal identifier identifies the terminal corresponding to the user plane connection command. The terminal address identifies the destination address of the user plane connection command. The terminal group message indicates information related to the group to which the terminal belongs. The indication applied to any terminal identifies relevant indication information for the terminal to which the user plane connection command is applied.

[0183] Slice information is used to indicate relevant information about network slices associated with user plane connections.

[0184] The data network name is used to indicate the name of the data network element associated with the user plane connection.

[0185] Time information can include at least one of the following: a data collection time window, a data validity period, and a data expiration time. The data collection time window indicates the start and end times of the collection or transmission of AI / machine learning related data, ensuring the timeliness and relevance of the data collection or transmission. The data validity period defines how long the data is valid or accurate and reliable, ensuring that the data is up-to-date during the collection or transmission of AI / machine learning related data and reducing the possibility of using outdated data. The data expiration time ensures that data exceeding its expiration time is not processed during the data collection process.

[0186] Location / region information may include at least one of the following: latitude and longitude-based geographic region, street-based city address, tracking area identity (TAI), and cell ID. In other words, location / region information can include multiple dimensions to support subsequent processing corresponding to different dimensions.

[0187] Data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements. Terminal measurements are data obtained from terminal measurements, while access network measurements are data obtained from access network measurements.

[0188] Data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

[0189] Data sample information may include at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold, to indicate relevant information about data samples related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0190] Machine learning model identifiers can be used to label data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning and associated machine learning models.

[0191] In some embodiments, sending a third message to a first network element includes: sending a network function discovery request message to a network storage network element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements used for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning; receiving a network function discovery response message from the network storage network element; and sending the third message to the first network element based on the network function discovery response message. It should be noted that the network function discovery response message can reflect relevant information about the network elements used for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, i.e., relevant information about the first network element. Therefore, the application network element can send a third message to the first network element based on the network function discovery response message.

[0192] In some embodiments, the network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0193] In some embodiments, the network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

[0194] In some embodiments, the application network element may invoke the event exposure service, data exposure service, analytics exposure service, or service applied to the collection of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data of the first network element to send a third message to the first network element.

[0195] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a response message from a first network element or a network open element.

[0196] Here, the response message includes at least one of the following: a reference identifier allocated by the first network element, an association identifier allocated by the first network element, a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, the data type of the terminal's authorization, the data type of the terminal's unauthorized data, and the expected data collection completion time.

[0197] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving artificial intelligence / machine learning related data from a first network element or a network open network element.

[0198] It should be noted that the explanation of some embodiments of the communication method applied to the network elements in the communication system shown in Figure 1 can refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to one of the network data analysis network element, data collection coordination network element, analysis data storage network element, data collection application network element, operation management and maintenance network element, and new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of realizing data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning) in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or can refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to the access network or access and mobility management network element in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to the terminal in the communication system shown in Figure 1.

[0199] The communication method provided in this disclosure can be applied to open network elements in the communication system shown in FIG1. ​​FIG6 shows a flowchart of another communication method, which includes the following steps S601-S602:

[0200] S601, Receive relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by application network elements.

[0201] S602, Send the third message to the first network element.

[0202] Here, the third message is used to request the collection of data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning. The third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning data.

[0203] In some embodiments, the relevant parameters for data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning include at least one of the following: indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, and notification address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0204] In some embodiments, the application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0205] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0206] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0207] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0208] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0209] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0210] Data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold.

[0211] In some embodiments, the method further includes at least one of the following: performing authorization verification and user permission confirmation on relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission; sending a fourth message to the application network element; the fourth message includes at least one of the following: a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, data types authorized by the terminals, data types not authorized by the terminals, and expected data collection completion time.

[0212] In some embodiments, sending a third message to the first network element includes: performing parameter mapping on the relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission based on the data management network element; sending a third message to the first network element; the third message includes the relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission as the parameters after parameter mapping.

[0213] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving a response message from a first network element and forwarding the response message to an application network element, wherein the response message includes at least one of the following: a reference identifier allocated by the first network element, an association identifier allocated by the first network element, an authorized terminal list, an unauthorized terminal list, a terminal authorized data type, a terminal unauthorized data type, and an expected data collection completion time.

[0214] In some embodiments, the communication method provided in this disclosure further includes: receiving artificial intelligence / machine learning related data from a first network element; and sending artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to an application network element.

[0215] In some embodiments, sending a third message to a first network element includes: sending a network function discovery request message to a network storage network element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning; receiving a network function discovery response message from the network storage network element; and sending a third message to the first network element based on the network function discovery response message.

[0216] In some embodiments, the network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0217] In some embodiments, the network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

[0218] It should be noted that the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to network open network elements in the communication system shown in Figure 1 can refer to the explanation of some embodiments of the communication method applied to application network elements in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to one of the network data analysis network element, data collection coordination network element, analysis data storage network element, data collection application network element, operation management and maintenance network element, or new network element (e.g., a new network element capable of realizing data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning) in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to the access network or access and mobility management network element in the communication system shown in Figure 1, or refer to the explanation of embodiments of the communication method applied to the terminal in the communication system shown in Figure 1.

[0219] The following provides examples of the communication methods provided in embodiments of this disclosure:

[0220] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure, used to indicate the registration or update process of the first network element in the network storage network element, including:

[0221] S701, the first network element sends a second message to the network storage network element.

[0222] Here, the second message includes at least one of the following: information on the ability to collect artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0223] S702, Network storage element stores / updates information in the second message.

[0224] S703, the network storage element sends a registration / update completion instruction to the first network element.

[0225] As shown in Figure 8, a flowchart of another communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure is used to instruct an application network element to directly request the collection of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, including:

[0226] S801, The application network element sends a network function discovery request message to the network storage network element.

[0227] Here, the Network Function Discovery Request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for data collection related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0228] S802, The network storage element sends a network function discovery response message to the application element.

[0229] S803: The application network element calls the relevant services for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning in the first network element, and sends the relevant parameters for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning to the first network element.

[0230] S804, the first network element sends a response message to the application network element.

[0231] As shown in Figure 9, a flowchart of another communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure is used to instruct an application network element to indirectly request the collection of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data through a network open network element, including:

[0232] S901: The application network element calls the relevant services for data collection related to artificial intelligence / machine learning in the open network element, and sends the relevant parameters for data collection related to artificial intelligence / machine learning to the open network element.

[0233] S902, Network Open Element Execution Parameter Mapping.

[0234] In some embodiments, open network elements map external parameters in the relevant parameters to internal parameters of the core network, such as mapping application element service identifiers to a combination of S-NSSAI and DNN, mapping external application identifiers to application identifiers within the core network, and mapping location information to available parameters within the core network, such as tracking area information and cell identifiers.

[0235] In some embodiments, network open elements call UDM services such as Nudm_SDM_Get to perform some parameter mapping, such as mapping GPSI to SUPI and mapping external group ID to internal group ID.

[0236] S903, Perform authorization verification and user permission determination on one or more of the relevant parameters.

[0237] S904, Assign a transaction reference identifier or a subscription association identifier.

[0238] It should be noted that S902, S903, and S904 are operations that network open elements may or may not perform.

[0239] S905, the open network element sends a response message to the application network element.

[0240] The following S906-S909 represent another process that the network open element can execute after S902 and the network open element performs parameter mapping:

[0241] S906, the open network element sends the relevant parameters for collecting artificial intelligence / machine learning related data after the execution parameter mapping to the first network element.

[0242] S907, the first network element performs authorization verification and user permission confirmation.

[0243] S908, the first network element sends a response message to the network open network element.

[0244] S909, the network open element sends a response message to the application element.

[0245] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of another communication method provided in this embodiment of the present disclosure, used to indicate the user plane connection establishment process for collecting artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, including:

[0246] S1001, The terminal sends a user plane connection establishment request to the access and mobility management network element for collecting artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0247] S1002, The access and mobility management network element performs the first network element selection.

[0248] S1003, the access and mobility management network element sends a user plane connection establishment request to the first network element for collecting artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0249] It should be noted that S1001-S1003 are a possible triggering steps before the first network element sends the user plane connection establishment command.

[0250] S1004 below is a possible step that is triggered after the first network element decides to send a user plane connection establishment command.

[0251] S1004, The first network element performs access and mobility management network element selection.

[0252] S1005, the first network element sends a user plane connection establishment command to the access and mobility management network element.

[0253] S1006. The access and mobility management network element sends a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

[0254] S1007, The terminal performs terminal routing selection policy matching.

[0255] S1008. The terminal sends a Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request to the Session Management Network Element.

[0256] S1009. Session management network element selects user plane network element and establishes N4 session.

[0257] S1010, the session management network element sends a protocol data unit session establishment and reception message to the terminal.

[0258] S1011. The terminal establishes a transport layer security protocol connection with the first network element.

[0259] S1012, The terminal sends a user plane binding request to the first network element.

[0260] S1013, The first network element sends a user plane connection binding acceptance message to the terminal.

[0261] S1014. The terminal sends a user plane connection establishment completion message to the access and mobility management network element.

[0262] S1015. The access and mobility management network element sends a user plane connection establishment completion message to the first network element.

[0263] S1016. The terminal and the first network element perform the transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data.

[0264] S1017. The first network element performs checks and confirmations on data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0265] S1018. When the data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning meets the requirements, the first network element sends artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to the network open network element.

[0266] S1019. Network open elements send artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to application network elements.

[0267] The disclosed embodiments can divide the communication device into functional modules according to the above method embodiments. For example, each function can be divided into a separate functional module, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional module. The integrated module can be implemented in hardware or software. It should be noted that the module division in this disclosed embodiment is illustrative and only represents one logical functional division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. The following description uses the example of dividing each functional module according to each function.

[0268] Figure 11 is a block diagram of a communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 11, the communication device includes a receiving module 1101 and a processing module 1102.

[0269] The receiving module 1101 is used to receive a user plane connection establishment command from the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0270] The processing module 1102 is used to establish a user plane connection with the first network element based on the user plane connection establishment command.

[0271] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0272] In some embodiments, the first node is an access and mobility management network element; or, the first node is an access network node.

[0273] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following:

[0274] Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements (e.g., new network elements capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0275] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment command includes at least one of the following:

[0276] The first network element's address, user plane binding identifier, indication of AI / machine learning related data transmission, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier;

[0277] Data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements;

[0278] Data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

[0279] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a transmitting module 1103.

[0280] The sending module 1103 is used to send a user plane connection establishment request to the first node; the user plane connection establishment request is used to request the establishment of a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0281] In some embodiments, a user plane connection establishment request includes at least one of the following:

[0282] Instructions for data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0283] In some embodiments, the processing module 1102 is further configured to establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session based on a user plane connection establishment command; the PDU session is used to establish a connection between the first network element and the terminal.

[0284] The processing module 1102 is also used to perform user plane connection binding based on the protocol data unit session.

[0285] In some embodiments, the processing module 1102 is further configured to match the routing selection policy of the command execution terminal based on the user plane connection establishment command to obtain the target data network name and the target single network slice selection auxiliary information;

[0286] The sending module 1103 is also used to send a Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request to the second network element. The Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request includes the target data network name and target single network slice selection auxiliary information.

[0287] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is further configured to receive a Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Acceptance Message from the second network element.

[0288] In some embodiments, the processing module 1102 is further configured to establish a transport layer security protocol connection with the first network element;

[0289] The sending module 1103 is also used to send a user plane connection binding request to the first network element. The user plane connection binding request includes a user plane binding identifier.

[0290] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1101 is further configured to receive a user plane connection binding acceptance message from the first network element.

[0291] In some embodiments, the sending module 1103 is further configured to send a user plane connection establishment completion message to the first node.

[0292] In some embodiments, the sending module 1103 is further configured to send artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to the first network element via a user plane connection with the first network element.

[0293] Figure 12 is a block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 12, the communication device includes: a transmitting module 1201.

[0294] The sending module 1201 is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0295] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0296] In some embodiments, the first node is an access and mobility management network element or an access network node.

[0297] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following:

[0298] Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements (e.g., new network elements capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0299] In some embodiments, the user plane connection establishment command includes at least one of the following:

[0300] The first network element's address, user plane binding identifier, indication of AI / machine learning related data transmission, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier;

[0301] Data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements;

[0302] Data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

[0303] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a receiving module 1202.

[0304] The receiving module 1202 is used to receive user plane connection establishment requests from the terminal.

[0305] In some embodiments, a user plane connection establishment request includes at least one of the following:

[0306] Instructions for data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0307] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1202 is configured to receive a first message from a first network element; the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and an identifier list for requesting the first node to send a list of terminals that satisfy the relevant parameters in the first message.

[0308] In some embodiments, the sending module 1201 is used to send a list of terminal identifiers to the first network element.

[0309] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1202 is configured to receive a user plane connection establishment command sent by the first network element;

[0310] The sending module 1201 is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

[0311] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a processing module 1203.

[0312] The receiving module 1202 is used to receive a user plane connection establishment request from the terminal;

[0313] Processing module 1203 is used to select the first network element based on the user plane connection establishment request;

[0314] The sending module 1201 is used to send a user plane connection establishment request to the first network element.

[0315] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1202 is configured to receive a user plane connection establishment completion message from the terminal;

[0316] The sending module 1201 is used to send a user plane connection establishment completion message to the first network element.

[0317] Figure 13 is a block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 13, the communication device includes: a transmitting module 1301.

[0318] The sending module 1301 is used to send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

[0319] In some embodiments, the user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0320] In some embodiments, the first network element is one of the following:

[0321] Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements (e.g., new network elements capable of transmitting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning).

[0322] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a receiving module 1302.

[0323] The receiving module 1302 is used to receive a user plane connection establishment request from the first node.

[0324] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1302 is configured to receive a third message sent by a third network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the transmission of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0325] In some embodiments, the third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, and notification address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0326] Application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0327] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0328] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0329] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0330] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0331] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0332] Data sample information includes the amount of data sample and / or quality thresholds.

[0333] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a processing module 1303.

[0334] The processing module 1303 is used to perform authorization verification and user permission confirmation on the relevant parameters of the artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission provided by the third network element.

[0335] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send a response message to the third network element; the response message includes at least one of the following:

[0336] The reference identifier allocated to the first network element, the associated identifier allocated to the first network element, the list of authorized terminals, the list of unauthorized terminals, the data types authorized by the terminals, the data types not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time.

[0337] In some embodiments, the third network element is an application network element or a network open network element.

[0338] In some embodiments, the processing module 1303 is further configured to perform a first node selection.

[0339] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send location information to the network storage element;

[0340] The receiving module 1302 is also used to receive relevant information of the first node sent by the network storage element.

[0341] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send a second message to the network storage element; the second message is used to register or update the information of the first element;

[0342] The information of the first network element includes at least one of the following:

[0343] Information on the ability to collect artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0344] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send a first message to the selected node; the selected node is a node selected by the first network element; the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and information for requesting the selected node to send an identifier list of terminals that meet the relevant parameters in the first message;

[0345] The receiving module 1302 is also used to receive a list of terminal identifiers sent by the selected node;

[0346] The processing module 1303 is also used to perform authorization verification on the terminal identifier list.

[0347] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send a terminal identifier list and / or an artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection instruction to the data management network element;

[0348] The receiving module 1302 is also used to receive the authorization verification result of the terminal identifier list sent by the data management network element.

[0349] In some embodiments, the processing module 1303 is further configured to perform first node selection based on relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission provided by the application network element or the network open network element.

[0350] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1302 is further configured to receive a user plane connection binding request from the terminal, wherein the user plane connection binding request includes a user plane binding identifier;

[0351] The sending module 1301 is also used to send a user plane connection binding acceptance message to the terminal.

[0352] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1302 is further configured to receive a user plane connection establishment completion message from the first node.

[0353] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1302 is also configured to receive artificial intelligence / machine learning related data from the terminal.

[0354] In some embodiments, the sending module 1301 is further configured to send relevant data on artificial intelligence / machine learning to application network elements or open network elements.

[0355] In some embodiments, the processing module 1303 is further configured to perform checks and confirmations on the relevant data of artificial intelligence / machine learning based on the demand parameters;

[0356] The sending module 1301 is also used to send relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data to application network elements or open network elements when the relevant data meets the requirements.

[0357] Figure 14 is a block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 14, the communication device includes: a transmitting module 1401.

[0358] The sending module 1401 is used to send a third message to the first network element or the open network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0359] In some embodiments, the third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, and notification address for data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0360] Application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0361] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0362] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0363] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0364] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0365] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0366] Data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold.

[0367] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a receiving module 1402.

[0368] The sending module 1401 is also used to send a network function discovery request message to the network storage element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning;

[0369] The receiving module 1402 is used to receive network function discovery response messages from network storage network elements;

[0370] The sending module 1401 is also used to send a third message to the first network element based on the network function discovery response message.

[0371] In some embodiments, the network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

[0372] In some embodiments, the network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

[0373] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1402 is further configured to receive a response message from a first network element or a network open network element, the response message including at least one of the following:

[0374] The reference identifier allocated to the first network element, the associated identifier allocated to the first network element, the list of authorized terminals, the list of unauthorized terminals, the data types authorized by the terminals, the data types not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time.

[0375] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1402 is further configured to receive artificial intelligence / machine learning related data from the first network element or the network open network element.

[0376] Figure 15 is a block diagram of another communication device provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. The communication device can execute the communication method provided in the above-described method embodiments. As shown in Figure 15, the communication device includes a receiving module 1501 and a transmitting module 1502.

[0377] The receiving module 1501 is used to receive relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by the application network element;

[0378] The sending module 1502 is used to send a third message to the first network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

[0379] In some embodiments, the relevant parameters for data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning include at least one of the following: indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, and notification address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data;

[0380] Application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address;

[0381] The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and instructions applicable to any terminal;

[0382] Time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid period of the data, and the expiration time of the data;

[0383] Location / region information includes at least one of the following: geographic region based on latitude and longitude, city address based on street, tracking area information, and community identifier;

[0384] Data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements;

[0385] The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities;

[0386] Data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample precision threshold.

[0387] In some embodiments, the communication device further includes a processing module 1503.

[0388] Processing module 1503 is used to perform authorization verification and user permission confirmation on the relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission.

[0389] The sending module 1502 is also used to send a fourth message to the application network element; the fourth message includes at least one of the following: a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, data types authorized by the terminals, data types not authorized by the terminals, and expected data collection completion time.

[0390] In some embodiments, the processing module 1503 is further configured to perform parameter mapping on the relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission based on the data management network element;

[0391] The sending module 1502 is also used to send a third message to the first network element; the third message includes parameters related to artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission, which are parameters after parameter mapping.

[0392] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1501 is further configured to receive a response message from the first network element and forward the response message to the application network element. The response message includes at least one of the following: a reference identifier assigned by the first network element, an association identifier assigned by the first network element, a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, a data type authorized by the terminal, a data type not authorized by the terminal, and an expected data collection completion time.

[0393] In some embodiments, the receiving module 1501 is further configured to receive artificial intelligence / machine learning related data from the first network element;

[0394] The sending module 1502 is also used to send artificial intelligence / machine learning related data to application network elements.

[0395] In some embodiments, the sending module 1502 is further configured to send a network function discovery request message to a network storage element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning;

[0396] The receiving module 1501 is also used to receive network function discovery response messages from network storage network elements;

[0397] The sending module 1502 is also used to send a third message to the first network element based on the network function discovery response message;

[0398] Here, the network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier;

[0399] The network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

[0400] In the case of implementing the functions of the integrated modules described above in hardware, this disclosure provides another possible structure for the communication device involved in the above embodiments. As shown in FIG16, the communication device includes: a processor 1602 and a bus 1604. Optionally, the communication device may further include a memory 1601; optionally, the communication device may further include a communication interface 1603.

[0401] Processor 1602 may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 1602 may be a central processing unit, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, transistor logic devices, hardware components, or any combination thereof. It may implement or execute various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with embodiments of this disclosure. Processor 1602 may also be a combination of functions implementing computation, such as a combination of one or more microprocessors, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a microprocessor.

[0402] The communication interface 1603 is used to connect to other devices via a communication network. This communication network can be Ethernet, wireless access network, wireless local area network (WLAN), etc.

[0403] The memory 1601 may be a read-only memory (ROM) or other type of static storage device capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM) or other type of dynamic storage device capable of storing information and instructions, or electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), disk storage media or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of carrying or storing desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and accessible by a computer, but is not limited thereto.

[0404] In some embodiments, the memory 1601 may exist independently of the processor 1602. The memory 1601 may be connected to the processor 1602 via a bus 1604 and is used to store instructions or program code. When the processor 1602 calls and executes the instructions or program code stored in the memory 1601, it can implement the methods provided in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0405] In other embodiments, memory 1601 may also be integrated with processor 1602.

[0406] Bus 1604 can be an extended industry standard architecture (EISA) bus, etc. Bus 1604 can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of illustration, only one thick line is used to represent it in Figure 16, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0407] Some embodiments of this disclosure provide a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium) storing computer program instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0408] Exemplary examples show that the aforementioned computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disks, floppy disks, or magnetic tapes), optical disks (e.g., compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMs), cards, sticks, or key drives, etc.). The various computer-readable storage media described in this disclosure may represent one or more devices for storing information and / or other machine-readable storage media. The term "machine-readable storage media" may include, but is not limited to, wireless channels and various other media capable of storing, containing, and / or carrying instructions and / or data.

[0409] This disclosure provides a computer program product containing instructions that, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the methods described in any of the above embodiments.

[0410] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A communication method, wherein, Applied to a terminal, the method includes: Receive a user plane connection establishment command from the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element. Based on the user plane connection establishment command, a user plane connection is established with the first network element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first node is an access and mobility management network element; or, The first node is an access network node.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The first network element is one of the following: Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The user plane connection establishment command includes at least one of the following: The address of the first network element, user plane binding identifier, indication of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier; The data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements; The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of establishing a user plane connection with the first network element based on the user plane connection establishment command includes: Based on the user plane connection establishment command, a protocol data unit session is established; the protocol data unit session is used to establish a connection between the first network element and the terminal; Based on the protocol data unit session, user plane connection binding is performed.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The establishment of a protocol data unit session based on the user plane connection establishment command includes: Based on the user plane connection, establish command execution terminal routing selection policy matching to obtain the target data network name and target single network slice selection auxiliary information; A Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request is sent to the second network element. The Protocol Data Unit Session Establishment Request includes the target data network name and the target single network slice selection auxiliary information.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The execution of user plane connection binding based on the protocol data unit session includes at least one of the following: Establish a transport layer security protocol connection with the first network element; Send a user plane connection binding request to the first network element, wherein the user plane connection binding request includes a user plane binding identifier; Receive user plane connection binding acceptance message from the first network element.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Send a user plane connection establishment completion message to the first node.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The method further includes: Through the user plane connection with the first network element, relevant data on artificial intelligence / machine learning are sent to the first network element.

11. A communication method, wherein, Applied to the first node, the method includes: Send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first node is an access and mobility management network element or an access network node.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The first network element is one of the following: Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein, User plane connection establishment commands include at least one of the following: The address of the first network element, user plane binding identifier, indication of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data transmission, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier; The data source types include terminal measurements or access network measurements; The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power information, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a first message from the first network element; the first message includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and an identifier list for requesting the first node to send a terminal that satisfies the relevant parameters in the first message.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The method further includes: Send the terminal's identifier list to the first network element.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Sending the user plane connection establishment command to the terminal includes: Receive the user plane connection establishment command sent by the first network element; Send a user plane connection establishment command to the terminal.

19. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a user plane connection establishment completion message from the terminal; Send the user plane connection establishment completion message to the first network element.

20. A communication method, wherein, Applied to the first network element, the method includes: Send a user plane connection establishment command to the first node; the user plane connection establishment command is used to establish a user plane connection between the terminal and the first network element.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The user plane connection is used to transmit data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The first network element is one of the following: Network data analysis network elements, data collection and coordination network elements, analysis and data storage network elements, data collection and application network elements, operation management and maintenance network elements, and new network elements.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a third message sent by a third network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, information of the terminal, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, and notification address of artificial intelligence / machine learning related data; The application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address; The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and indication applied to any terminal; The time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid time of the data, and the expiration time of the data; The location / region information includes at least one of the following: a geographic region based on latitude and longitude, a city address based on a street, tracking area information, and a community identifier; The data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements; The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities; The data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample accuracy threshold.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein, The method further includes at least one of the following: The authorization verification and user permission confirmation are performed on the relevant parameters of the artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission provided by the third network element; A response message is sent to the third network element; the response message includes at least one of the following: The reference identifier allocated by the first network element, the association identifier allocated by the first network element, the list of authorized terminals, the list of unauthorized terminals, the data types authorized by the terminals, the data types not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time.

26. The method according to any one of claims 23-25, wherein, The third network element is an application network element or a network open network element.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method further includes: Send a second message to the network storage element; the second message is used to register or update the information of the first network element. The information of the first network element includes at least one of the following: Information on the ability to collect artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier.

28. The method according to claim 20, wherein, The method further includes at least one of the following: Send a first message to the first node; the first message includes relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection, or includes relevant parameters of artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection and information for requesting the first node to send an identifier list of terminals that meet the relevant parameters in the first message; Receive the list of terminal identifiers sent by the first node; The terminal identifier list is authorized and verified.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein, The authorization verification of the identifier list includes: The first network element sends the terminal identifier list and / or artificial intelligence / machine learning data collection instructions to the data management network element; Receive the authorization verification result of the terminal identifier list sent by the data management network element.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a user plane connection binding request from a terminal, the user plane connection binding request including a user plane binding identifier; Send a user plane connection binding acceptance message to the terminal.

31. The method according to claim 22, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a message from the first node indicating that the user plane connection has been established.

32. The method according to claim 22, wherein, The method further includes: Receive relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data from the terminal; Send the relevant data of artificial intelligence / machine learning to the application network element or the open network element.

33. A communication method, wherein, Applied to application network elements, the method includes: A third message is sent to the first network element or the open network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein, The third message includes at least one of the following: an indication of data transmission related to artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data, and notification address for artificial intelligence / machine learning related data; The application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address; The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and indication applied to any terminal; The time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid time of the data, and the expiration time of the data; The location / region information includes at least one of the following: a geographic region based on latitude and longitude, a city address based on a street, tracking area information, and a community identifier; The data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements; The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities; The data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample accuracy threshold.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein, Sending a third message to the first network element or the network open network element includes: Send a network function discovery request message to the network storage network element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning; Receive network function discovery response messages from the network storage element; Based on the network function discovery response message, the third message is sent to the first network element or the network open network element; The network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier; The network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein, The method further includes: Receive a response message from the first network element or the network open network element, the response message including at least one of the following: The reference identifier allocated by the first network element, the association identifier allocated by the first network element, the list of authorized terminals, the list of unauthorized terminals, the data types authorized by the terminals, the data types not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein, The method further includes: Receive the relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data from the first network element or the open network element.

38. A communication method, wherein, Applied to open network elements, the method includes: Receive relevant parameters for artificial intelligence / machine learning data transmission sent by application network elements; A third message is sent to the first network element; the third message is used to request the collection of relevant data for artificial intelligence / machine learning; the third message includes relevant parameters for the data transmission of the artificial intelligence / machine learning data.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein, The relevant parameters for the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning include at least one of the following: indication of data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, machine learning model identifier, subscription address of artificial intelligence / machine learning data, and notification address of artificial intelligence / machine learning data; The application information includes at least one of the following: application identifier, application network element identifier, and application address; The terminal information includes at least one of the following: terminal identifier, terminal address, terminal group information, and indication applied to any terminal; The time information includes at least one of the following: the time window for data collection, the valid time of the data, and the expiration time of the data; The location / region information includes at least one of the following: a geographic region based on latitude and longitude, a city address based on a street, tracking area information, and a community identifier; The data source types include terminal measurements and / or access network measurements; The data types include at least one of the following: cell information, reference signal information and reference signal received power, terminal address information, terminal antenna direction information, codebook information, and wireless measurement quantities; The data sample information includes at least one of the following: data sample volume, quality threshold, and data sample accuracy threshold.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein, The method further includes at least one of the following: Authorization verification and user permission confirmation are performed on the relevant parameters of the data transmission related to the artificial intelligence / machine learning. Send a fourth message to the application network element; the fourth message includes at least one of the following: a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, the data type authorized by the terminals, the data type not authorized by the terminals, and the expected data collection completion time.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein, Sending the third message to the first network element includes: Based on the data management network element, parameter mapping is performed on the relevant parameters of the data transmission of the artificial intelligence / machine learning related data. The third message is sent to the first network element; the third message includes parameters related to the data transmission of artificial intelligence / machine learning, which are parameter mapping parameters.

42. The method according to claim 38, wherein, The method further includes: The system receives a response message from the first network element and forwards the response message to the application network element. The response message includes at least one of the following: a reference identifier assigned by the first network element, an association identifier assigned by the first network element, a list of authorized terminals, a list of unauthorized terminals, the data type authorized by the terminal, the data type not authorized by the terminal, and the expected data collection completion time.

43. The method according to claim 38, wherein, The method further includes: Receive relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data from the first network element; Send the relevant artificial intelligence / machine learning data to the application network element.

44. The method according to claim 38, wherein, Sending the third message to the first network element includes: Send a network function discovery request message to the network storage network element; the network function discovery request message is used to request the discovery of network elements for collecting data related to artificial intelligence / machine learning; Receive network function discovery response messages from the network storage element; Based on the network function discovery response message, the third message is sent to the first network element; Here, the network function discovery request message includes at least one of the following: indication of relevant data transmission for artificial intelligence / machine learning, application information, terminal information, slice information, data network name, time information, location / region information, data source type, data type, data sample information, and machine learning model identifier; The network function discovery response message includes at least one of the following: address information, network element capability information, network element load information, and network element priority information.

45. A communication device, wherein, include: Memory and processor; The memory and the processor are coupled; The memory is used to store instructions that can be executed by the processor; When the processor executes the instruction, it performs the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11-19, or the method as described in any one of claims 20-32, or the method as described in any one of claims 33-37, or the method as described in any one of claims 38-44.

46. ​​A computer-readable storage medium, wherein, The computer-readable storage medium includes a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions that, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11-19, or the method as described in any one of claims 20-32, or the method as described in any one of claims 33-37, or the method as described in any one of claims 38-44.

47. A computer program product, wherein, The computer program product includes computing technology program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the method as described in any one of claims 1-10, or the method as described in any one of claims 11-19, or the method as described in any one of claims 20-32, or the method as described in any one of claims 33-37, or the method as described in any one of claims 38-44.

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